1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat apparatus for vehicles. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a seat apparatus for vehicles which gives a driver a broader view and which allows the driver to push pedals such as a brake without much effort. Further more specifically, the present invention is directed to a seat apparatus for vehicles that permits a driver to adjust a seat forward, backward, upward and downward in accordance with his or her build.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical vehicle, a driver's seat is installed on the floor and behind the pedals such as the brake. In addition, the seat is supported by a seat slide unit in such a way to be movable forward and backward. This seat slide unit is composed of a pair of lower rails and a pair of upper rails. The lower rails are fixed to the floor, parallel to each other, with extending from the front to the back. The upper rails are secured to the lower surface of the seat cushion in alignment with the lower rails, and slidably engage with the lower rails. Furthermore, the upper rails are locked by stoppers, etc. of the lower rails. With this seat slide unit, the seat can be adjusted in accordance with the build of a driver. The driver's seat is also supported by a vertical adjusting mechanism. With this mechanism, the height of the driver's seat can be adjusted.
In order to move the seat forward, backward, upward and downward in accordance with the build of a driver, a seat apparatus for vehicles disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication H07-164934 has been proposed. This seat apparatus is equipped with inclined rail slides under the seat. As the seat travels forward on the rail slides, the seat is made higher. With this apparatus, the seat can be adjusted forward, backward, upward and downward simultaneously.
On the other hand, an appropriate hip point (or seat position), at which the driver can have a broad front view and press pedals such as the brake without effort, is determined depending on the build of a driver. Moreover, the relationship between the build and the hip point of a driver is not typically linear but curved.
The typical seat apparatus travels the seat in a linear orbit. As a result, the viewpoint of a driver may deviate from the appropriate one. To illustrate, when a driver on the seat has a tiny build, his or her viewpoint may be too low. In this case, it is hard for the driver to view the front area, especially the area in front of and beneath the vehicle.
Furthermore, this apparatus can also move pedals forward, backward, upward and downward in accordance with a driver's build, most especially the length of his or her legs. This enables the driver to press the pedals surely without effort. However, such an adjustment can be troublesome.
Taking the above disadvantages into account, the present invention has been conceived. The present invention has been contrived as a result of the intense research and study made by the inventors. It is also based on the fact that the relationship between a driver's build and his or her hip point is curved. An object of the present invention is to provide a seat apparatus for vehicles which enables a seat to be adjusted precisely and appropriately in accordance with a driver's build, thus giving the driver a broader front view as well as allowing him or her to press pedals without much effort.